Earth Hour 2011

The following information is sent from Nancy Knight, Associate Vice President, Campus and Community Planning.

Dear UBC Community,

Where will you be on Saturday, March 26 at 8:30 p.m.? If you are near a light switch, I hope you will turn it off.

Those of us working on sustainability at UBC invite all members of the UBC community to participate in Earth Hour by turning off all non-essential lights and electronic equipment before leaving the campus on Friday, March 25, or on Saturday night at 8:30pm if you live on campus. This event is a symbolic reminder of the daily energy conservation actions needed to help UBC, and the wider world, achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2010, UBC adopted greenhouse gas reduction targets that are the most aggressive amongst the world’s top 40 universities. The University will aim to reduce GHGs by 33 per cent from 2007 levels by 2015, by 67 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020 and eliminate 100 per cent of GHGs by 2050. Many exciting initiatives are currently underway to help us achieve our targets including a partnership with BC Hydro to ‘tune-up’ energy performance in 72 core academic buildings across campus, construction of the UBC Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project, conversion of the steam district energy system to hot water and ongoing expansion of UBC – Okanagan’s geoexchange system.

We are working to engage and inspire students, staff and faculty to conserve energy through initiatives such as the Do It in the Dark student energy competition in Totem Park Residence, our award-winning employee sustainability engagement program, Sustainability Coordinators, and Green Teams at UBC – Okanagan.

Please continue to help support the University’s climate change action goals and initiatives by participating in Earth Hour 2011, starting at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26. At this time, hundreds of millions of people around the world will turn off their lights for one hour to indicate their support for action on climate change.